Tupac Shakur would be 43 years old if he were alive today. Born on June 16, the hip-hop legend never got the opportunity to reach his full potential from a personal and professional standpoint.

During a recent interview with rolling out, civil rights icon Andrew Young recalled his first and only encounter with Tupac Shakur.

“I had an experience with Tupac. I was coming out of a religious bookstore and I had just done a signing for my first book, A Way Outof No Way. Tupac saw the sign and he pulled his limousine over. He jumped out and he came in as I was coming out.

He introduced himself. I was surprised that he knew who I was. I gave him a copy of my book and signed it and he assured me that he was going to read it. He told me, ‘I need to talk to you.’ He said when he got back to Atlanta, he hoped that we could sit down and talk. I told him that we could sit down and talk. It didn’t have to be an appointment, he could see me at any time of the day. I wrote my number in the book. But, he never made it back to Atlanta.

I saw in him a talented, spiritual young man. He was searching for a way to make peace with a hostile environment.” -Andrew Young

A.R. Shaw is an author and journalist who documents culture, politics, and entertainment. He has covered The Obama White House, the summer Olympics in London, and currently serves as Lifestyle Editor for Rolling Out magazine. Follow his journey on Twitter @arshaw and Instagram @arshaw23.